The present invention relates to a process for producing α-substituted acrylic acid esters, which are useful as monomers adapted to the next generation photoresists.
It is known that such α-substituted acrylic acid esters have bright prospects as monomers for the next generation resist materials and that such resists containing the monomers as their constituent element are superior in light transmission and surface adhesion (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,784,312 corresponding to Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication 2003-040840).
It is mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 6,784,312 that an α, β-unsaturated ester is synthesized by reacting an alcohol with acrylic acid or acrylic chloride.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,071 discloses a process for synthesizing α-[(2-hydroxy-1-methyl-3,3,3 -trifluoro-2-trifluoromethyl)propyl]benzyl alcohol by the steps of (a) heating hexafluoroacetone and propiophenone at 160° C.; and (b) reducing the product of the step (a) by aluminum isopropoxide using isopropanol as a solvent.